PwC: Northern Ireland is the best place to live post-pandemic
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Professional services firm PwC has found that Northern Ireland is the best place to live, compared with the rest of the UK, as people continue to trade cities for the countryside after a year spent at home.
Surveying over 4000 people across the country, the firm found that more people in Northern Ireland, than in any other part of the UK, recommended it as a good place to start a family.
Amid a year of suspended travel, 42 per cent of people in Northern Ireland have said that the pandemic has helped tighten local communities.
The firm’s latest Future of Government report also found that double the number of people living in the region strongly agreed that they were treated fairly, as opposed to just six per cent across Scotland and Wales.
Government and health industries lead for PwC in Northern Ireland, Dr David Armstrong, said: “People are now thinking more about the quality of life they want to lead which has led to an exodus from a number of big cities, particularly London.”
Levelling-up the region
Despite the reported tightening of communities, inequality continues to be a problem in the region.
The death of the high-street is a growing issue across the UK, but felt starkly in Northern Ireland with 42 per cent of people wanting high-street investment to reduce levels of inequality.
75 per cent of Northern Irelanders also said that improving the supply and quality of homes would be the most effective way to reduce the inequality highlighted by home-based life.
Traditionally people moving to the region have been employed in low-skilled jobs with migrant labour stimulating economic growth since 2014, Armstrong said.
Now, Northern Ireland has an opportunity to emerge out of Brexit and the pandemic as a global tech hub, he continued.
“With many companies now planning remote working into their future plans – there’s a major window of opportunity for Northern Ireland to attract people seeking to relocate.
“The emphasis could change in the future with our reputation as a world-leading cyber security hub as well as being named as one of three UK cities most likely to emerge as a leading tech city this year, could see Northern Ireland attract more highly skilled people which would greatly improve our economic development,” he said.
Inequalities
The pandemic has only aggravated existing inequalities across the UK, with the report revealing that regional divisions had grown during the pandemic.
45 per cent of those in Northern Ireland had the strongest concerns about inequality between rural and urban areas.
“It’s clear that there’s a lot of work that needs to be done to ensure ‘levelling-up’ delivers on its promises,” Armstrong said.
“However, it’s important to note where work is being done such as the Government’s Bounce Back plans for Northern Ireland’s tech sector, which should help boost our economic recovery from the combined challenges of Covid-19, as well as Brexit.”